The Minister's Reign
by Meg Rider
Summary: After making a deal with Hades to put a curse on Prince Adam and Princess Aurora, Frollo finally gets his turn to rule. His goal: to get rid of all the gypsies. When Princess Jasmine is mistaken for a gypsy and arrested, her father declares war on Frollo. With the war raging on, the kingdom slowly falls apart. ...Too much happens in the story to fit in the summary... ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

"Children, wake up!"

Twelve-year-old, Esmeralda, was awaken by her mother's hushed voice breaking into her dreams. She opened her eyes and rolled over to see her mother standing over her younger brother's bed. She was urgently shaking him, but he was a heavy sleeper.

"Mother, what is it?" Esmeralda asked.

Her mother didn't have to answer, though. It was at that moment that Esmeralda noticed the men outside holding torches. She slowly got out of bed and crept over to the window. The men were all standing at attention, with their swords drawn. They wore gray armor and black cloaks to shelter them from the cold. Esmeralda recognized the men instantly as Minister Frollo's guards. Esmeralda quickly ducked down and didn't dare move. It was no secret that Frollo despised gypsies. He often had gypsies arrested and sent to the Palace of Justice. He didn't even need a reason. The king and queen had made him chief of law enforcement which meant he could have anyone arrested that he deemed to be a criminal; even if they weren't. His target group was the gypsies who he believed were all thieves, witches, tramps and harlots. Gypsies were poor and with their tan skin and black hair, it was easy for Frollo and his guards to pick them out in a crowd.

"Mom? What's going on?" eleven-year-old, Aladdin, asked when he finally woke up.

"There are men outside; you need to be quiet," their mother said. "Get dressed quickly."

Esmeralda and Aladdin did as they were told. Their mother helped them slip on their coats and then as quietly as she could, she lifted the floorboards in the center of the room.

"Hide under here," their mother instructed. "Stay down there until your father or I come get you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Esmeralda and Aladdin said in unison.

"Good." Their mother kissed each of then before they climbed under the floor. "Please be quiet. I love you both."

Just as their mother had replaced the floor boards, they heard their front door slam open.

"What are you doing here?" their father demanded.

"Your family is under arrest!" one of the guards announced.

There wasn't a lot of space under the floor; Aladdin and Esmeralda had to lie flat on their backs and could barely move. The dirt was cold and moist and Esmeralda could feel it seeping through her clothes. Random shivers shot through her body and she tried to fight against them. At one point something- a spider perhaps- crawled across her ankle and she had to stifle a scream.

Their bedroom door flew open, hitting against the wall. A guard stomped across the room, causing dirt to fall through the cracks of the floor. He stopped just above Esmeralda and dirt fell down on her face.

"What do you want?" their mother asked. "We haven't done anything wrong."

Esmeralda cringed when she heard the guard slap her mother. She fell to the ground and the guard lied down on top of her.

"No!" their mother cried out. "Stop it!"

"Isn't this what you harlots want?" the guard snarled.

"Leave her alone!" That was their father's voice.

"You're going to watch him take your pretty wife's body," another guard said. "And then you'll watch me take her as well."

"You're hurting me!" their mother whimpered.

Aladdin tensed up and Esmeralda took his hand. He dug his nails into her and she knew she would have marks on her skin.

"That's enough!" another voice bellowed. "We are to arrest them only and bring them to Frollo in the Palace of Justice."

This third guard walked over to where their mother was now on her knees with her hands shackled behind her back. All Esmeralda could see of the guard was his sword pointing at her mother's throat.

"Where are your children?"

Their mother didn't say anything. The guard slapped her and repeated his question, but their mother just spit at him.

"You two, take them to the Palace of Justice. The rest of you, search for their children!" the guard demanded.

Footsteps echoed throughout the house as Esmeralda watched the guard drag her mother away. Esmeralda slowly turned her head and faced her brother. His big brown eyes were staring back at her and tears were streaming down his cheeks.

_"It's going to be okay," _Esmeralda mouthed to him. _"Go!"_

Aladdin slowly rolled over and started crawling away on his stomach. Esmeralda waited until she was sure there were no guards in their bedroom before following after him. They peered out of the small hole in the ground on the side of the house. There were guards everywhere. They stayed very still until the guards were no longer in sighet. They then squeezed out from the hole and made a run for it. There were some bushes a few yards from the house and they ducked behind them to make sure no one was following them. Esmeralda took Aladdin's hand and they ran further into the small wooded area next to their house. They found a large pine tree and climbed underneath of it for shelter. The pine needles pricked their skin, but they knew it was the best place to hide_. _Aladdin took off his jacket and spread it out over the pine needles so he could lie down on it. Esmeralda slipped off her jacket and draped it over her younger brother as a blanket.

"When can we go home?" Aladdin asked.

Esmeralda pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, trying to warm herself. "We can never go back home, Aladdin. Those men will be looking for us."

Aladdin frowned. "But, if we don't go home how will mom and dad find us?"

Esmeralda looked down at her brother. "They've been arrested; Frollo will never let them leave. They're going to stay in there just like Clopin and his parents." She reached out and ran her hand over his hair. "But, don't worry; I'm going to look after you. I won't let anyone take you away or hurt you. I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

_**10 years later...**_

Esmeralda counted the coins she had received from dancing as she walked down the streets. She didn't earn much and she knew she could have gotten more if the guards didn't force her away, but it was still better than nothing. Although, not much better. She was trying to save up enough money so she and Aladdin can run away and live freely in another kingdom where they don't discriminate against gypsies.

Esmeralda dropped her coins in her small coin purse and sighed sadly. She looked up in time to see she was approaching The Benbow Inn. She could smell the food Tiana was cooking and she slipped inside. Like every evening, The Inn was bustling was with a dinner rush. The owner and only waitress, Sarah Hawkins, was hurrying from table to table. Sarah gave Esmeralda a friendly smile as soon as she saw her, but then was immediately called over to a table.

After their parents were arrested, Sarah and her husband, Korso, took Esmeralda and Aladdin in so they didn't have to sleep on the streets. They didn't make a lot of money and couldn't really take care of Aladdin and Esmeralda, but they gave them shelter. The Benbow Inn was a known haven for gypsies and Sarah and Korso did what they could for all of them.

"Hey, Esmeralda."

Esmeralda turned her attention to a nearby table where Sarah and Korso's son, Jim, was cleaning up dirty plates. Jim was only five when Esmeralda and Aladdin came to stay with them and sometimes Esmeralda earned a little extra money from Sarah by babysitting him. He had been a sweet little boy then, but now he was fifteen and had hit his rebellious teenage years. He was still a sweet, caring boy, but he tried to hide it with a hard ass act.

"Hi, Jim. How are you doing?" Esmeralda greeted.

"Fine."

"How are your parents?"

"Fine." Jim started wiping down the table.

Esmeralda nodded and looked around The Inn. Sarah was now at another table, but she didn't see Korso anywhere. Korso often worked side odd jobs to make extra money and Esmeralda assumed he was working again.

"Will you tell them I said hi?" Esmeralda asked Jim. Jim nodded. "Thanks. See ya around, kid."

Esmeralda quickly left The Inn and made her way to her house. After several years, Esmeralda and Aladdin returned to their parents' house; after they were sure no one was looking for them anymore. The house had been completely abandoned the whole time they were gone and they had to fix it up a lot, which cost almost all of the money Esmeralda had earned up to that point; but at least they had a home again.

Esmeralda opened her front door and was instantly greeted by the smell of soup. Aladdin was in the kitchen bent over a small pot on the stove. Aladdin didn't want Esmeralda to have to spend any of her money, so he always stole food for them to eat. At first, Esmeralda was not happy about this and insisted they pay for their food, but after a while it seemed all of their money was going towards food and they never had any saved up for leaving.

"What are you making?" Esmeralda asked.

"Vegetable soup," Aladdin replied. "There's bread on the table."

Esmeralda broke off a piece of the bread and nibbled on it as she walked back to Aladdin's room, which was the room they shared when they were kids. She knelt down in the center of the room and pried up some of the floorboards. Where they once hid, Esmeralda now hid her money in tin cans. She dropped the coins from that day into one of the cans and then replaced the floorboards.

Esmeralda sighed and let a couple tears roll down her cheeks. It had been ten years since her parents had been arrested and, most likely, killed. She had promised Aladdin she would take care of him but she wasn't doing a very good job. They were still running from Frollo and his guards and living in fear.

**x~x~x~X~x~x~x**

"...and for my birthday I had a summer home built for myself. A couple peasants lost their homes, but it has a pool and it's almost as big as my palace."

Princess Jasmine resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the young emperor, Kuzko, rambled on about himself. Kuzko was yet another suitor her father had brought to the palace in hopes that Jasmine would choose someone to marry. Jasmine hadn't liked any of them and wouldn't marry them. Her father was beginning to worry about her and- if Kuzko was any indication- he was becoming desperate.

Jasmine wanted to marry for love and refused to be forced into an arranged marriage. But, the law stated she had to be married to someone of noble blood by her twenty-first birthday and her birthday was approaching quickly. Jasmine wasn't concerned, though; her father was the Sultan and she knew he wouldn't force her into anything, despite some stupid law.

Regardless, her father was still setting up dates for her, hence the dinner with Emperor Kuzko.

"You'd be the perfect trophy wife," Kuzko was now saying.

"Is that how you see me?" Jasmine asked. "Just some trophy to put on display?"

Kuzko looked at her like what she had just was the dumbest thing he had ever heard. "Uh, yeah."

Jasmine glared at him. "I'm not a prize to be won. And I'm _not _going to marry you."

Jasmine threw her napkin on the table and stormed out of the dining room. When she reached her bedroom, her lady in waiting, Ariel, was waiting for her

Ariel was a young girl, younger than Jasmine, with red hair, bright blue eyes and creamy skin. Right now Ariel had her hair pulled back with an over-sized bow and she almost looked like a porcelain doll.

Jasmine quickly removed her jewelry and threw them on her dresser before sitting down on her bed.

"How was dinner with the emperor, your majesty?" Ariel asked.

Jasmine let out an exaggerated sigh as she collapsed backwards on her bed. "Awful! Not only is he younger than me, but he's completely self-absorbed." She glanced over at Ariel who was now putting away the jewelry Jasmine had just taken off. "And, Ariel, I've told you; you don't don't have to address me so formally. You can call me Jasmine."

"I'm sorry," Ariel said, quietly.

"Jasmine, how dare you?"

As soon as Jasmine heard her father's bellowing voice, she regretted not closing her bedroom door behind her. She sat up and watched her father storm across the room towards her.

"Emperor Kuzko said you offended him and-"

"I refused him," Jasmine stated. "I'm not going to marry that self-absorbed _boy_."

"You're running out of time _and _suitors, Jasmine."

"I don't care!" Jasmine snapped. "I'm not ready to be married and I won't be until I fall in love."

"Marrying for love is an unrealistic notion. You're a princess and you have an obligation to your kingdom."

"Then maybe I don't want to be a princess anymore," Jasmine retorted.

The Sultan let out a frustrated groan. "Don't be so dramatic, Jasmine. You don't have a choice in the matter."

"You can't tell me how to live my life."

"Yes I can; I'm the Sultan, as well as your father. Your birthday is in a few days; either you choose someone by then, or you will marry Emperor Kuzko."

"That's not fair!"

"My patience for you and this situation has worn thin, Jasmine. It's time you start acting like a princess and owning up to your responsibilities."


	3. Chapter 3

Rapunzel lied still and silent in her bed until she heard her mother leave. Her mother often met up with Rapunzel's grandfather, Frollo, late at night, but she didn't know Rapunzel knew about their meetings. Rapunzel's mother was entirely too overprotective and never let Rapunzel set foot outside their house. But, once she found out her mother was leaving at night, Rapunzel started staying up late just so she could sit out on their back stoop and enjoy being outside. It was late enough that no one else was up, so Rapunzel didn't have to worry about anyone seeing her and ratting her out to her mom.

Now, Rapunzel wasn't a rebellious daughter by any means, usually she did everything her mother told her to with out question. But recently Rapunzel was longing more to be outside and interact with other people. She was incredibly lonely, not to mention bored.

Once Rapunzel was sure her mom was out of sight, she slipped out of bed and snuck out the back door. She sat down on the stoop and stared out at the woods in the distant. She knew somewhere in the woods was the castle where Prince Adam and Princess Aurora lived. They lived in a secluded castle for safety reasons and most of the people in the kingdom had never seen them; including Rapunzel. She imagined Princess Aurora was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom and Adam was handsome and kind.

Rapunzel envied them.

She had never met anyone her own age before; in fact she had never talked to anyone other than her mother and grandfather. But, Rapunzel longed to have an adventure, really live her life and maybe even fall in love one day. But, she was trapped in this shack of a house until God knows when. Sometimes she pretended she was locked up in a secluded cave that was guarded by an evil dragon, waiting for a prince to save her. Of course, no one was looking for her, though. She would most likely be stuck here until her mother died. She hoped her mother outlived her grandfather, though. Frollo was a cruel man and Rapunzel knew if he was still alive when her mother died then she would be forced to live with him and she couldn't bear the thought of that.

**x~x~x~X~x~x~x**

Frollo leaned against the mantle of the stone fireplace and stared into the flames as he waited for his daughter, Gothel, to arrive. Tonight was the night they both had been waiting for for so long and it was finally here.

"Father?"

Frollo turned around and watched as Gothel made her way across the dimly lit room. She was wearing a long cloak and she removed the hood as she approached him.

"Is everything ready?" Gothel asked.

Frollo nodded towards a dark corner on the other side of the room. Just then a demonic-looking man with flames for hair and a slender brunette woman emerged from the corner. Gothel let out a small gasp when she saw the man, much like Frollo had, but then smiled.

"Hades..." Gothel breathed.

Hades glanced down at Gothel, but hardly acknowledge her. He then looked at Frollo. "So, the two of you want to make a deal?"

"Yes," Frollo stated simply.

Hades glanced back and forth between the two of them, clearly annoyed. "Well, what do you want? I don't really have _time_ to waste with you pathetic mortals."

Frollo couldn't take his eyes off the God of the Underworld. Frollo was a holy man, a man of God, and every bone in his body was against making a deal with the devil. But his hatred for the gypsies that plagued their kingdom was greater than his fear of Hades and he knew that ultimately this is what God would want; all of the sinners getting their fit punishment.

Gothel, however, seemed completely calm and comfortable around Hades. This somewhat alarmed Frollo, but at that moment he needed her to be able to negotiate with Hades.

Gothel took a step forward. "Our kingdom has been overrun by-"

Hades shot her an aggravated look. "Skip the prologue!"

Gothel stood up a little straighter to show she was not intimidated by him. "We want you to put a curse on Prince Adam and Princess Aurora and make us the rulers of the kingdom so we can bring justice to our kingdom."

Hades waved his hand dismissively. "I don't care about your reasoning. If I do this, what's in it for me?"

"Name your price."

"I want your souls."

"Never!" Frollo snapped.

Gothel quickly stepped between her father and Hades. "What are the terms?"

Hades studied each of them. "I will give you one year. I'll put the curse the prince and princess and make you rulers of the kingdom for one year. At the end of the year, the curse will be broken and your souls will belong to me." The woman cleared her throat and Hades glanced back at her and then looked back at Frollo and Gothel. "That's right; I'm given to understand you also have a daughter; I want her soul as well."

"Why?" Gothel asked. "She has nothing to do with this."

"Don't question me!" Hades shouted. His blue flamed hair turned bright orange and covered his body when he yelled, causing Frollo and Gothel to stumble back. Hades suddenly became calm and went back to the way he had looked just seconds before, as if nothing had happened. "I get her soul as well, or no deal."

"You have a deal," Gothel said, extending her hand to him.

Frollo hesitantly extended his hand as well and Hades shook them. He then stepped to the side and the young woman stepped forward.

"This is Meg; she works for me. I will randomly send her up here to check on you from time to time to make sure you don't try backing out of the deal," Hades said.

Meg looked less than enthused to be there and Frollo couldn't help wondering how sinful someone had to be to end up becoming the servant of the devil.


End file.
